Former Nurse of the Year Norma Stokes seriously injured five of the girls, leaving one with brain damage, after she became "confused and befuddled" and put her foot on the accelerator instead of the brake.

There was mayhem and carnage. Chaos, shock and horror descendedJudge David Aubrey QC

The church-going, grandmother-of-four demolished a bollard, mounted the kerb, drove 120 metres (394 feet) down the pavement and crashed into the pupils, aged 11 to 16, who had just left classes as the bell had run for the end of term at Belvedere Academy in Toxteth, Liverpool.

One of the girl's mothers was on the phone to her daughter at the time to pick her up from school - and was told Stokes' Peugeot 107 was on top of the youngster as she arrived.

Witnesses described the scene as like something out of a disaster film, with members of the public rushing to lift the car off the girl and the carnage only ending after Stokes ripped off the open doors of a school bus and hit two more parked cars.

Former Nurse of the Year Norma Stokes was slapped with a lifetime driving ban Credit:
Dan Rowlands/Mercury Press

The defendant, of Allerton, Liverpool, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to five counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving on February 12.

On Wednesday she was given a two-year jail term, suspended for two years, and banned from driving for life. The widow, a former operating theatre sister, had devoted her life to caring for people and was deeply religious, the court heard, with her family and local vicar in the public gallery to support her.

"This case illustrates the need for the Government to urgently review, if it is not doing so already, the manner in which the elderly can or should be permitted to continue driving and hold a UK driving licence."